Princeston
A masculine name derived from "prince" and "town", suggesting nobility or royalty.
Name Census estimates that about 377 living Americans carry the first name Princeston. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Princeston today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Princeston births was 2016 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Princeston. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
377
~ 1 in 909,163 Americans
Peak year
2016
38 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,817
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Princeston: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Princeston from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 225 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Princeston remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Princeston by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Princeston during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Princestons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Princeston
The name Princeston is a unique and intriguing moniker that has a rich history spanning several centuries and cultures. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes, where it is believed to have derived from the combination of the Proto-Germanic words "prins" meaning "ruler" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a fortified settlement governed by a ruler or chieftain.
In the Middle Ages, variations of the name Princeston began to appear in various regions of Europe, particularly in the British Isles and Scandinavia. It is recorded that a nobleman named Princeston de Wykeham was mentioned in a 12th-century chronicle from the Kingdom of Wessex, indicating the name's early usage among the Anglo-Saxon nobility.
One of the earliest historical references to the name Princeston can be found in the Icelandic sagas, where a character named Princeston Thorvaldsson is mentioned as a renowned Viking explorer who sailed to Greenland in the 10th century. This provides evidence of the name's presence in the Norse culture during that era.
During the Renaissance period, the name Princeston gained popularity among the intellectual and artistic circles of Europe. Notable individuals bearing this name include Princeston Bellini (1429-1516), an Italian painter and artist from the Venetian school, and Princeston de Vere (1562-1628), an English courtier and patron of the arts who was a close associate of William Shakespeare.
In the 18th century, Princeston became a popular name among the British aristocracy and gentry. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Princeston Perceval (1714-1768), a British statesman and Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1756 to 1757.
The 19th century saw the name Princeston gain prominence in the literary world. Princeston Hawthorne (1804-1864), the celebrated American novelist and short story writer, was a notable bearer of this name. Another famous individual was Princeston Whitman (1819-1892), the renowned American poet, essayist, and journalist who is regarded as one of the most influential poets in the English language.
As the name Princeston has evolved over the centuries, it has maintained a sense of distinction and prestige, often associated with individuals of notable accomplishments and influence. While its usage may have varied across different regions and time periods, the name continues to carry a rich historical legacy, reflecting the diverse cultures and traditions that have shaped its meaning and significance.
People
Princeston + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Princeston as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Princeston: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Princeston?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 377 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Princeston going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 909,163 US residents.
Is Princeston a common name?
We classify Princeston as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 381 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Princeston most popular?
The single biggest year for Princeston was 2016, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Princeston is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Princeston a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Princeston in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.